Afif Jamil Aboulhosn, also known by his loved ones as Papi, was a man of honor, a man of generosity and a man of love. Anything he did he did with passion and he encouraged his children to do the same. “lo que no sirve, bota lo” is what he always used to say; when translated in English, it means "what doesn’t work, throw it away.” He pushed his children to work hard at the things they could change and wanted to change, and encouraged them to avoid spending time on the things that could not be changed. That was Afif. Whether you liked it or not, Afif was going to tell you or show you what should be done. Growing up, his children didn’t always understand what Afif meant, but through the years and through his stories, his children learned the true meaning of hard work and more importantly, the true meaning of love. When Afif was 16 years old, he traveled to Kuwait to help maintain his family in Lebanon, and while he was there, he obtained a job as an engineer on a project to build a bridge. The bridge was finished, and he was proud of that bridge. He was proud not only because the bridge was part of the Kuwaiti infrastructure, but because he helped accomplish something that he thought may not be possible, which was to leave his home to attempt to make a life for himself. At 17, he traveled on a ship from Syria to Venezuela to start a new life; with little money in his pocket and a valuable gold coin that his grandmother gave him, Afif began his journey as a salesman. He sold his coin, bought fabric and a suitcase, and went door to door to sell the fabric; with this money, he purchased watches, and soon after, Afif had multiple jewelry stores. Afif returned to Lebanon at the age of 30 and this is when he met the beautiful Helen Hamden. They fell in love, and the two were engaged within two weeks, married within the year, and back in Venezuela to start their family. Afif remained in Venezuela until he moved to the United States at the age of 47, when Venezuela’s economy plummeted and along with it went Afif’s business. For many people, starting over at the age of 50 would have been nearly impossible, but for Afif, it made him strong. This downfall fueled him to work harder to be on top again. This is what he taught his children….through words and by example, Afif taught his family to never give up. His love for them inspired him to work harder, and in return, he gained the eternal love and respect of his family. He always said, "Hay una solucion para todo, menos la muerte” which in English means there is a solution for everything except death. There was no giving up. Afif was determined to create something that his family would be proud of—first and foremost came his family—his inspiration. At the age of 50, Afif started over, and through hard work, Afif was back on top within a few years. Again starting door to door, with only 40 neckties; and eventually, selling millions of neckties annually to the Central and South American market. In 2001, Edward Imad, Afif’s son, joined his team and together, they expanded the business. Afif always said that he would work until the day he died, and that he did. Their company is a success, and their neckties are worn by millions of people; so there is a little bit Afif and Eddy in everyone’s life. Afif touched the lives of many people, but most of all the lives of his family members.